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The Lure Casters Twilight Zone An
account of the season that was as experienced by the Author.
This season (2002/2003) has brought with it many trials and
tribulations and has been an all-round mixed bag of fortunes. Well for
many regular freshwater native fish lure caster’s including yours
truly it has indeed been a season that will not be remembered as a good
year. The main reason would of course be due to the drought and many of
Victoria’s native freshwater waterways were so low that they were
either un-fishable or unable to launch any boat bigger than a bathtub.
We also had many Blue-green Algae blooms and some closures by water
authorities. All this left the native freshwater lure caster with some
very non-conducive conditions and little choice other than the Murray
River although early in the season we had some of the clearest water
that could ever be fished.
Looking back on the season that is quickly passing there is one
very notable common denominator and that is the dusk and the dawn
options. Many times we have been casting lures in the daylight hours only to be disappointed
and coming up with zippo in the fish
department. But on the other hand the first and last light period would
always provide us with some great action. I know this is not a great new
insight in lure casting but it shows that even in the worse conditions
that some drought periods can throw upon us it’s comforting to know
that a lot of time can be saved in concentrating on the first & last
light option.
The two most productive waterways that we have found to be the
best waterways to fish in the twilight is the Lake Mulwala outer
perimeter and the snaggy banks of the Loddon River at Bridgewater. These
areas have consistently provided some good lure casting action in the
twilight and dawn periods although the twilight period does seem to be a
lot more productive.
The Loddon River at Bridgewater is a recent new waterway for us
and the twilight option became very apparent after many trips there
through the day coming up with no fish at all. But once the sun started
to move off the water the action would almost always start and we end up
turning a very quiet and disappointing day into a very satisfying one.
Using your time wisely and working the sunken timber along the banks
would always come up with fish.
Lake Mulwala would have to be the Mecca for all freshwater native
lure casters as this waterway consistently provides plenty of action
throughout the day and has the best options available in a small area.
But when the fish are not playing the game and the day is quiet the dawn
& dusk option is the only way of nailing a Murray Cod or a Golden
Perch. The best areas on the lake to fish at either end of the day is
the outer perimeter of the lake among the sunken red gums or the more
popular willow areas on the Victorian side. “The Willows” which is a
series of small bays that stretch either side of the Yarrawonga Rowing
Club are the best option to snare a fish on a cast lure at this time of
day. The best advice I can give on fishing this area is to get your lure
right in amongst or under the willows as we have found over the years
that you can cast for hours in front and parallel to them and not get a
look in. Don’t be afraid of getting your expensive lures snagged up,
as they will be easily retrieved in these shallow areas. Just ensure
that you have a good quality tackle retriever and you know how to use
it. A great indispensable item we use is a pole with small piece of
chain and a curled wire to run your line through is all that is needed
for a very quick extraction and you can get on with the job without
wasting your time on recovering lures. Other areas too that are worth a
try around the lake are the areas that provide shelter or cover for
these predatory fish is worth a try. Reedy areas with a muddy bottom and
snagless water have also proved an unlikely place to catch a fish in the
twilight hours. Many Murray Cod are caught unawares while they forage
for prey in the mud in the oncoming darkness. Spinnerbaits &
bibbed lures all performed well in these areas and you will be surprised
just how close you find yourself fishing to the strike zone. In the
willowed areas of Lake Mulwala you will find yourself right in amongst
the Willows so you can get your lure right where it needs to be. Most
casts are only 3 metres long or less as there is not much room to work
but the fish will take your lure. An aggressive Murray Cod will even
take the lure just below the boat as long as you don’t make too much
noise. Swirling your rod in a figure 8 pattern at the side of the boat
in these areas will take a fish from time to time so don’t be shy to
experiment. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is
only a very small window of opportunity at this time of the day so I
advise all you keen lure casters to be well prepared and quickly work
every snag over a couple of times and move on and waste no time with
changing gear if it can be helped. Have a couple of rods already rigged
up with the lures of your choice at the ready so no time is wasted. The
sun sinks very quickly and complete darkness does come upon us at this
time of the day so be very prepared for your return trip back to the
boat ramp and know the water and return route well, have a couple of
good torches or spotlights to assist you on the way. Although the autumn
period has seen the lure fishing improve slightly but all in all it has
been a disappointing 2002/2003 season and one that will not be
remembered as a good season. Even the bait fisho’s and troller’s had
a tougher time than normal this season and most daytime outings were a
non event or hardly worth the effort but come the twilight zone there
always was a little productivity. And as a complete contrast there were
some very good-sized Murray Cod caught this season with quite a few
measuring in from 1.2 to 1.5 metre long monsters. Most of these were
reportedly returned to the water, which is great to here that many
anglers are returning the larger sized Murray Cod back to the water
which will only improve wild Murray Cod stocks in the future. Before I wrap up this article I would like to particularly give praise and acknowledgement to the organisers of the Lake Mulwala Cod Opening Classic. Tony Bennet and his hard working team have announced that as of 2004 this world class competition will be a total catch & release competition. This is fantastic news and truly shows a professional and ethical approach to an issue that has sparked a lot of criticism and debate in the past. The Lake Mulwala Cod Opening Classic will in 2004 be the benchmark for all other commercial freshwater fishing competitions that are held in Australia and will be living proof that we do not need to remove fish from our waterways to raise much needed fundraising for our community clubs and organisations. Well done guys and now the gauntlet can be thrown down toward the Echuca-Moama RSL & Citizens Club’s “Great Outdoor Exhibition and Fishing Classic” and other like wise competitions to see if they can measure up to Lake Mulwala COC. Well that’s it for me for the time being and hope you all can keep on GOODOO DREAMING. Ian Stead GOODOO DREAMING |
